License plate lamp unit and vehicle provided with license plate lamp unit

ABSTRACT

A license plate lamp unit which, with a simple structure, enables easy attachment of components to the rear of the vehicle and which can prevent relative displacement among components, and a vehicle equipped with the license plate lamp unit are provided. This license plate lamp unit is provided with: a license plate lamp ( 301 ) which irradiates light onto the license plate; a vehicle mounted camera ( 100 ) having a camera lens ( 101 A,  101 B); a nozzle  3  for discharging a cleaning medium towards the camera lens ( 101 A,  101 B); and an attachment member ( 310 ) supporting the license plate lamp ( 301 ), the vehicle mounted camera ( 100 ) and a nozzle ( 3 ).

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a license plate lamp unit and a vehicle provided with a license plate lamp unit

BACKGROUND ART

In recent years, vehicles having a vehicle-mounted camera configured to capture a situation around a vehicle have been increasing. A lens, which is an imaging surface, of the vehicle-mounted camera may be smudged due to rain, mud and the like. For this reason, in order to remove foreign matters such as water droplets attached on the lens, a device configured to remove the foreign matters by ejecting a cleaning liquid, a compressed air and the like to the lens of the vehicle-mounted camera has been known.

For example, PTL 1 discloses a configuration where a compressed air generation unit is provided in the vicinity of the vehicle-mounted camera, and a compressed air of the compressed air generation unit is sprayed from a nozzle to eject a high-pressure air to a front glass of the vehicle-mounted camera, thereby removing water droplets attached on the front glass (refer to PTL 1).

CITATION LIST Patent Literature

PTL 1: JP-A-2001-171491

SUMMARY OF INVENTION Technical Problem

In the configuration as disclosed in PTL 1, when mounting a vehicle-mounted camera configured to capture a rear situation of the vehicle, a process of mounting the vehicle-mounted camera to a rear part of the vehicle and a process of mounting a nozzle to a position in which the foreign matters (particularly, mud and the like) attached on a front glass of the vehicle-mounted camera can be removed are performed. The mounting process of the respective components (vehicle-mounted camera, nozzle) is performed by adjusting the position between the components. Therefore, the mounting process is troublesome and the positional displacement among the components may occur.

Also, in the configuration as disclosed in PTL 1, when mounting the vehicle-mounted camera configured to capture the rear situation of the vehicle, the vehicle-mounted camera is disposed in the vicinity of a license plate lamp configured to irradiate light to a license plate, for example. In this case, the light from the license plate lamp is incident on a lens of the vehicle-mounted camera, so that a part of an image captured by the camera becomes white, which lowers detection accuracy of the vehicle-mounted camera.

The present disclosure is to provide a license plate lamp unit that, with a simple configuration, enables components to be easily mounted to a rear part of a vehicle and can prevent positional displacement among the components, and a vehicle equipped with the license plate lamp unit.

Also, the present disclosure is to provide a license plate lamp unit that, with a simple configuration, can prevent light from a license plate lamp from being incident on a lens of a vehicle-mounted camera to thereby prevent lowering in detection accuracy of the vehicle-mounted camera, and a vehicle equipped with the license plate lamp unit.

Solution to Problem

A license plate lamp unit of the present disclosure includes:

a license plate lamp configured to irradiate light to a license plate;

a camera unit having a camera lens;

a nozzle configured to discharge a cleaning medium toward the camera lens, and

a base component configured to support the license plate lamp, the camera unit and the nozzle.

According to the above configuration, the license plate lamp, the camera unit and the nozzle are mounted to the common base component and are thus modularized, so that the modularized license plate lamp unit can be easily mounted to an outer panel of a rear part of a vehicle, for example. Also, since each component is mounted to the common base component, it is possible to prevent positional displacement among the components.

Also, the license plate lamp unit of the present invention may further include a delivery unit configured to deliver air, as the cleaning medium, toward the nozzle, and

the delivery unit may be supported to the base component.

According to the above configuration, the delivery unit can also be mounted to the common base component and modularized.

Also, the license plate lamp unit of the present invention may further include a door opening/closing part for opening and closing a rear door of a vehicle, and

the door opening/closing part may be supported to the base component.

According to the above configuration, the door opening/closing part can also be mounted to the common base component and modularized.

Also, a vehicle of the present disclosure includes the license plate lamp unit having anyone of the above-described configurations.

According to the above configuration, the license plate lamp unit can be easily mounted to an outer panel of a rear part of a vehicle, for example, and the positional displacement among the respective components can be prevented.

Also, a license plate lamp unit of the present invention includes:

a license plate lamp having a light emission unit configured to irradiate light to a license plate, and

a camera unit having a camera lens,

wherein in a state in which the license plate lamp unit is mounted to a vehicle, the camera lens satisfies at least one of (a) a condition that the camera lens is located below a lower end of the light emission unit, and (b) a condition that the camera lens is located at the rear of a rear end of the light emission unit.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to prevent the light from the license plate lamp from being incident on the camera lens by adjusting a position of the camera lens relative to the light emission unit of the license plate lamp.

Also, the license plate lamp unit of the present invention may further include:

a delivery unit configured to deliver a cleaning medium,

a nozzle configured to discharge the cleaning medium toward the camera lens, and

a pipe path configured to interconnect the delivery unit and the nozzle.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to remove foreign maters attached on the camera lens, thereby preventing lowering in detection accuracy of a vehicle-mounted camera.

Also, a vehicle of the present disclosure includes the license plate lamp unit having any one of the above-described configurations.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to prevent the light from the license plate lamp from being incident on the vehicle-mounted camera with a simple configuration, thereby preventing lowering in detection accuracy of the vehicle-mounted camera.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

According to the license plate lamp unit and the vehicle having the same in accordance with the present disclosure, it is possible to easily mount the license plate lamp unit to the rear part of the vehicle, and to prevent the positional displacement among the components.

Also, according to the license plate lamp unit and the vehicle having the same in accordance with the present disclosure, it is possible to prevent the light from the license plate lamp from being incident on the vehicle-mounted camera with a simple configuration, thereby preventing lowering in detection accuracy of the vehicle-mounted camera.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rear part of a vehicle having a vehicular cleaner system that configures a part of a license plate lamp unit in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a front view depicting a high-pressure air generation unit, a nozzle and the like of the vehicular cleaner system.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the vehicular cleaner system shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a left side view of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along a line A-A of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the high-pressure air generation unit.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view depicting an inside of the high-pressure air generation unit shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a plan view depicting a generation main body part of the high-pressure air generation unit.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the generation main body part shown in FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is an upper perspective view of the nozzle mounted to a vehicle-mounted camera.

FIG. 11 is a lower perspective view of the nozzle mounted to the vehicle-mounted camera.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view of the nozzle mounted to the vehicle-mounted camera.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram for illustrating operations of the vehicular cleaner system.

FIG. 14 is a timing chart for illustrating operations of the vehicular cleaner system.

FIG. 15 is a timing chart for illustrating operations of the vehicular cleaner system.

FIG. 16 is a plan view depicting a first modified embodiment of the generation main body part.

FIG. 17A is a rear view depicting a second modified embodiment of the generation main body part.

FIG. 17B is a plan view depicting the second modified embodiment of the generation main body part.

FIG. 18 is a sectional view depicting a modified embodiment of the nozzle.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment with be described with reference to the drawings.

A vehicular cleaner system, which configures a part of a license plate lamp unit of the present disclosure, is applied as a system configured to wash foreign matters such as water droplets, mud, grit and dust and the like attached to a vehicular lamp mounted to a vehicle, a vehicle-mounted sensor, a window of the vehicle or the like (examples of the to-be-cleaned object) by using a cleaning liquid and a high-pressure air (examples of a cleaning medium).

As shown in FIG. 1, a vehicular cleaner system 1 can be used to wash the foreign matters attached to a vehicle-mounted camera 100 (an example of the vehicle-mounted sensor and an example of the camera unit) mounted at a rear part of a vehicle V and a rear window 200 of the vehicle V, for example.

The vehicular cleaner system 1 includes a window washer device 10 for spraying a cleaning liquid toward the rear window 200 of the vehicle V. The window washer device 10 includes a tank 11 configured to accommodate therein the cleaning liquid, and a motor pump 12 (an example of the pump) configured to pressure-feed the cleaning liquid accommodated in the tank 11, and a nozzle 13 configured to spray the cleaning liquid toward the rear window 200. The nozzle 13 is formed with an ejection port 14 (an example of the third ejection port) opening toward the rear window 200. The tank 11 and the motor pump 12 are arranged in a bonnet of the vehicle V, for example. The nozzle 13 is coupled to the motor pump 12 through a coupling hose 13. In the meantime, the tank 11 and the motor pump 12 may be arranged at a rear side of the vehicle V. The window washer device 10 can function as a device configured to clean a front window of the vehicle V, too.

The window washer device 10 is controlled by a vehicle ECU (Electronic Controller) 40. For example, when a rear washer button (not shown) for cleaning the rear window 200 is operated by a driver, the vehicle ECU 40 controls so that the cleaning liquid in the tank 11 is to be sprayed from the ejection port 14 toward the rear window 200. Also, after the cleaning liquid is sprayed, the vehicle ECU 40 controls a rear wiper 201 so as to operate by a predetermined number of times.

Also, the vehicular cleaner system 1 includes a high-pressure air generation unit 2 configured to generate a high-pressure air, a nozzle 3 configured to spray the cleaning liquid and the high-pressure air toward the vehicle-mounted camera 100, and a controller 4 configured to control the spraying of the nozzle 3.

The high-pressure air generation unit 2 is mounted to a mounting member 310 (an example of a base component) to which a license plate lamp 301 configured to irradiate light to a license plate 300 is mounted, for example. The nozzle 3 is formed integrally with a housing of the vehicle-mounted camera 100, and is mounted to the mounting member 310 together with the vehicle-mounted camera 100. The mounting member 310 is mounted to an outer panel 210 of the rear part of the vehicle, for example. In a state in which the license plate lamp 301, the vehicle-mounted camera 100 and the nozzle 3 are mounted to the mounting member 310, the mounting member 310 is mounted to the outer panel 210 from an outside. The mounting member 310 mounted to the outer panel 210 is covered from an upper side by a garnish 320. The controller 4 is arranged in the outer panel 210, for example, and is connected to the vehicle ECU 40 configured to control the window washer device 10. Also, the controller 4 is connected to the high-pressure air generation unit 2. In the meantime, a configuration where the processing of the controller 4 is executed by the vehicle ECU 40 and the controller is thus integrated is also possible. A door opener 400 (an example of a door opening/closing part) for opening and closing a rear door of the vehicle is also mounted to the mounting member 310. The license plate lamp 301 has a light emission unit 302 configured to irradiate light to the license plate.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5, the vehicle-mounted camera 100 mounted to the mounting member 310 includes, for example, an inner mirror camera 100A and a rearview camera 100B. The inner mirror camera 100A and the rearview camera 100B have lenses 101A and 101B (examples of a camera lens), and an imaging element (not shown) configured to convert light incident from the lens into an electric signal, respectively. The inner mirror camera 100A is a camera for capturing a rear situation (image) that can be checked by an inner mirror (rearview mirror), and is configured to operate while at least an engine of the vehicle V is on. The rearview camera 100B is a camera for capturing an image in the vicinity of the rear of the vehicle V, and operates when a gear of the vehicle V is switched to a reverse state, for example. The images captured by the inner mirror camera 100A and the rearview camera 100B are displayed on a monitor (not shown) provided in a vehicle interior, for example.

A nozzle 3A mounted to the inner mirror camera 100A is coupled to the motor pump 12 of the window washer device 10 through the coupling hose 15 and is coupled to the high-pressure air generation unit 2 through a coupling hose 29A. A nozzle 3B mounted to the rearview camera 100B is coupled to the motor pump 12 of the window washer device 10 through the coupling hose 15 and is coupled to the high-pressure air generation unit 2 through a coupling hose 29B. The tank 11 and the motor pump 12 for the window washer device 10 are used as a tank and a motor pump for spraying the cleaning liquid for cleaning the inner mirror camera 100A and the rearview camera 100B, too.

As shown in FIG. 4, the inner mirror camera 100A is mounted to face toward the substantial right rear of the vehicle V. Also, as shown in FIG. 5, the rearview camera 100B is mounted to the rear of the vehicle V in an obliquely downward direction. The lens 101A of the inner mirror camera 100A is located below a lower end of the light emission unit 302 of the license plate lamp 301, and is also located at the rear of a rear end of the light emission unit 302. More specifically, the lens 101A of the inner mirror camera 100A is located below a lower end of a light emission surface 303 of the light emission unit 302 of the license plate lamp 301 and is also located at the rear of a rear end of the light emission unit 303. Also, the lens 101B of the rearview camera 100B is located below the lower end of the light emission unit 302 of the license plate lamp 301 and is also located at the rear of the rear end of the light emission unit 302. More specifically, the lens 101B of the rearview camera 100B is located below the lower end of the light emission surface 303 of the light emission unit 302 of the license plate lamp 301 and is also located at the rear of the rear end of the light emission unit 303.

In the embodiment, the lens 101A and the lens 101B are located below the lower end of the light emission unit 302 of the license plate lamp 301 and at the ear end of the light emission unit. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the lens 101A and the lens 101B may be located below the lower end of the light emission unit 302 of the license plate lamp 301 or at the rear of the rear end of the light emission unit 302.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the high-pressure air generation unit 2 includes a housing 21, a generation main body part 22 accommodated in the housing 21, and a control unit (control substrate) 23 configured to control operations of the generation main body part 22. The generation main body part 22 is mounted to the housing 21 via a damper 24.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the generation main body part 22 includes a plurality of (two, in the example) cylinders 50A, 50B, and pistons 60A, 60B movably supported in the respective cylinders. Also, the generation main body part 22 includes a movement mechanism 70 configured to apply a moving force to the pistons 60A, 60B to move the same to predetermined positions, and a single drive unit 80 configured to drive the movement mechanism 70.

The cylinder 50A and the cylinder 50B are arranged at bilaterally symmetrical positions about a drive shaft 81 of the drive unit 80. Also, in the example, the drive unit 80 is interposed between the cylinder 50A and the cylinder 50B.

The cylinder 50A has an ejection port 51A for delivering the high-pressure air toward the nozzle 3A for the inner mirror camera 100A. The cylinder 50B has an ejection port 51B for delivering the high-pressure air toward the nozzle 3B for the rearview camera 100B. The ejection port 51A of the cylinder 50A is formed to face toward an opposite direction to the ejection port 51B of the cylinder 50B (in the example, the ejection port 51A faces leftward and the ejection port 51B faces rightward). The ejection port 51A is coupled with the coupling hose 29A communicating with the nozzle 3A. The ejection port 51B is coupled with the coupling hose 29B communicating with the nozzle 3B.

The cylinders 50A, 50B of the generation main body part 22 are detachably configured. The housing 90 of the generation main body part 22 is formed with concave parts 91 (an example of the first engaging part). Outer surfaces of the cylinders 50A, 50B are formed with convex parts 52A, 52B (an example of the second engaging part) protruding upward. The convex parts 52A, 52B of the cylinders 50A, 50B are engaged with the concave parts 91 of the housing 90, so that the cylinders 50A, 50B are mounted to the housing 90.

The pistons 60A, 60B are supported to the cylinders 50A, 50B so as to be reciprocally movable in the front and rear direction. Urging springs 61A, 61B are supported to front parts of the pistons 60A, 60B, in the cylinders 60A, 60B. The urging springs 61A, 61B are, for example, compression coils, and are provided to urge rearward the pistons 60A, 60B. When the pistons 60A, 60B are moved rearward by the urging of the urging springs 61A, 61B, the high-pressure air compressed in the cylinders 50A, 50B are delivered from the ejection ports 51A, 51B. On the other hand, when the pistons 60A, 60B are moved forward against the urging of the urging springs 61A, 61B, the air (exterior air) is introduced into the cylinders 50A, 50B through air introduction grooves (not shown).

Front end portions of the pistons 60A, 60B are coupled with racks 62A, 62B extending in the front and rear direction. The racks 62A, 62B extend with protruding outward from the cylinders 60A, 60B, and are configured to reciprocally move in the front and rear direction together with the pistons 60A, 60B. The racks 62A, 62B are provided with rack teeth 63A, 63B. The rack tooth 63A of the rack 62A protrudes toward the rack 62B (toward the rightward direction), and the rack tooth 63B of the rack 62B protrudes toward the rack 62A (toward the leftward direction).

The movement mechanism 70 includes a single worm 71 configured to rotate by the drive unit 80 and a plurality of (in the example, two) worm wheels 72A, 72B configured to be in mesh with the worm 71 and to rotate in association with rotation of the worm 71.

The worm 71 is fixed to the drive shaft 81 extending forward from the drive unit 80 and is configured to rotate in association with rotation of the drive shaft 81.

The worm wheels 72A, 72B are supported at central parts thereof to support shaft parts 92A, 92B of the housing 90 via bearings. The worm wheel 72A and the worm wheel 72B are arranged at bilaterally symmetrical positions about the worm 71.

The respective worm wheels 72A, 72B are configured by driven gears (helical gears) 73A, 73B and pinions 74A, 74B protruding laterally from central parts of the driven gears 73A, 73B. The driven gears 73A, 73B are in mesh with the worm 71, and are configured to rotate in association with rotation of the worm 71. The pinions 74A, 74B are arranged coaxially with the driven gears 73A, 73B, and are configured to rotate together with the driven gears 73A, 73B. The driven gear 73A and the pinion 74A are configured to rotate in a clockwise direction and the driven gear 73B and the pinion 74B are configured to rotate in a counterclockwise direction, in FIGS. 8 and 9.

Outer peripheral parts of the pinions 74A, 74B are respectively formed with a plurality of (in the example, two) gear teeth 75A, 75B protruding radially. The gear teeth 75A of the pinion 74A can mesh with the rack tooth 63A of the rack 62A, and the gear teeth 75B of the pinion 74B can mesh with the rack tooth 63B of the rack 62B. In the meantime, positions at which the gear teeth 75A of the pinion 74A are formed in an outer periphery direction of the pinion 74A and positions at which the gear teeth 75B of the pinion 74B are formed in an outer periphery direction of the pinion 74B may be bilaterally symmetrical or may be asymmetrical about the worm 71. For example, in the asymmetrical case, a phase of the piston 60A and a phase of the piston 60B configured to reciprocally move in the front and rear direction are different.

In the generation main body part 22 configured as described above, when the drive unit 80 is driven under predetermined conditions, the worm 71 is rotated, so that the driven gears 73A, 73B of the worm wheels 72A, 72B in mesh with the worm 71 are respectively rotated in opposite circumferences. When the driven gears 73A, 73B are rotated, the pinions 74A, 74B formed integrally with the driven gears 73A, 73B are rotated and the gear teeth 75A, 75B of the pinions 74A, 74B are respectively meshed with the rack teeth 63A, 63B of the racks 62A, 62B. When the pinions 74A, 74B are further rotated, the racks 62A, 62B are moved in the opposite direction (forward) to the delivery direction (rearward) of the high-pressure air by the mesh with the gear teeth 75A, 75B, against the urging force of the urging springs 61A, 61B. Thereby, the pistons 60A, 60B coupled to the racks 62A, 62B are located forward and the air is introduced into the cylinders 50A, 50B. When the pinions 74A, 74B are further rotated, the meshed state between the rack teeth 63A, 63B and the gear teeth 75A, 75B is released, so that the pistons 60A, 60B are moved in the delivery direction (rearward) by the urging force of the urging springs 61A, 61B. By the movement of the pistons 60A, 60B, the air in the cylinders 50A, 50B is delivered from the respective ejection ports 51A, 51B toward the nozzle 3A, 3B, as the high-pressure air.

As shown in FIGS. 10 to 12, the nozzle 3A mounted to the inner mirror camera 100A has a cleaning liquid ejection port 31A (an example of the first ejection port) configured to spray the cleaning liquid toward a lens 101A (an example of the cleaning surface) of the inner mirror camera 100A and a high-pressure air ejection port 32A (an example of the second ejection port) configured to spray the high-pressure air toward the lens 101A. In the meantime, since the nozzle 3B mounted to the rearview camera 100B has the same configuration as the nozzle 3A, the respective corresponding parts are denoted with the reference numerals “B” replaced with “A”, and the nozzle 3B is described focusing on differences from the nozzle 3A.

The cleaning liquid ejection port 31A and the high-pressure air ejection port 32A are formed in the single nozzle 3A, as independent separate ejection ports. The cleaning liquid ejection port 31A and the high-pressure air ejection port 32A are aligned in parallel in the right and left direction on the same side surface (in the example, the upper surface) of the inner mirror camera 100A. The high-pressure air ejection port 32A is arranged at a position facing a central part of the lens 101A. The cleaning liquid ejection port 31A is arranged at a position (in the example, a position deviating rightward) deviating from the central pan of the lens 101A. That is, the cleaning liquid ejection port 31A is formed at a position more distant from the lens 101A than the high-pressure air ejection port 32A. Also, a step 33 stepped in the upper and lower direction is formed between the cleaning liquid ejection port 31A and the high-pressure air ejection port 32A.

The cleaning liquid ejection port 31A is configured to communicate with a tube path 34A through which the cleaning liquid is to pass. Also, the high-pressure air ejection port 32A is configured to communicate with a tube path 35A through which the high-pressure air is to pass. The tube paths 34A, 35A are arranged to extend in the front and rear direction above an upper surface of the inner mirror camera 100A.

The tube paths 34A, 35A are formed so that diameters thereof are narrowed at rear ends. A diameter of a rear end port 36A of the tube path 34A is formed smaller than a diameter of a rear end port 37A of the tube path 35A (refer to FIG. 12). The rear end port 36A and the cleaning liquid ejection port 31A are formed to communicate with each other by the ejection path 38A, and the rear end port 37A and the high-pressure air ejection port 32A are formed to communicate with each other by the ejection path 39A. The ejection path 38A and the ejection path 39A are formed so that they are wider toward the ejection ports 31A, 32A, respectively. An ejection angle θ1 of the ejection path 38A is formed greater than an ejection angle θ2 of the ejection path 39A. The ejection path 38A is obliquely formed in a right and lower direction toward a central point of the lens 101A. The ejection path 39A is formed downward toward the central point of the lens 101A.

A front end portion of the tube path 34A is coupled with the coupling hose 15 communicating with the motor pump 12 of the window washer device 10. A front end portion of the tube path 35A is coupled with the coupling hose 29A communicating with the cylinder SA. In the meantime, a front end portion of a tube path 34B of the nozzle 3B of the rearview camera 100B is coupled with the coupling hose 15 communicating with the motor pump 12 of the window washer device 10, and a front end portion of a tube path 35B is coupled with the coupling hose 29B communicating with the cylinder 50B.

In the example, the cleaning liquid ejection port 31A and the high-pressure air ejection port 32A are aligned in parallel in the right and left direction on the upper surface of the inner mirror camera 100A. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the cleaning liquid ejection port 31A and the high-pressure air ejection port 32A may be respectively arranged on different side surfaces of the inner mirror camera 100A. In this case, preferably, the high-pressure air ejection port 32A is arranged at a position at which the high-pressure air is to be sprayed toward the lens 101A from one direction in the upper and lower direction, and the cleaning liquid ejection port 31A is arranged at a position at which the cleaning liquid is to be sprayed toward the lens 101A from one direction in the right and left direction. In the meantime, for example, when the vehicle-mounted camera is mounted to the front part of the vehicle, the high-pressure air ejection port is preferably arranged below the lens, considering a wind pressure from the front.

The controller 4 and the vehicle ECU 40 can switchably execute an actuation mode in which the cleaning liquid and the high-pressure air are to be sprayed toward the cleaning surface for cleaning and an actuation mode in which only the high-pressure air is to be sprayed toward the cleaning surface for cleaning, for example. In this case, the controller 4 and the vehicle ECU 40 can switchably execute the two actuation modes, depending on a type of the to-be-cleaned object, for example. Also, in the case of the actuation mode in which the cleaning liquid and the high-pressure air are to be sprayed toward the cleaning surface for cleaning, the controller 4 and the vehicle ECU 40 can initiate the spraying of the high-pressure air from the high-pressure air ejection port 32A of the nozzle 3A after the spraying of the cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid ejection port 31A of the nozzle 3A has been initiated, for example,

Also, the controller 4 and the vehicle ECU 40 can switchably execute an actuation mode in which the cleaning liquid is to be sprayed from both the cleaning liquid ejection port 31A of the nozzle 3A and the ejection port 14 of the nozzle 13 and an actuation mode in which the cleaning liquid is to be sprayed from only one of the cleaning liquid ejection port 31A of the nozzle 3A and the ejection port 14 of the nozzle 13.

Subsequently, operations of the vehicular cleaner system 1 are described with reference to FIGS. 13 to 15.

As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, for example, when the rear washer button for cleaning the rear window 200 of the vehicle V is pushed, a rear washer signal is transmitted from the vehicle ECU 40 to the motor pump 12 of the window washer device 10 and the controller 4.

The motor pump 12 having received the rear washer signal pressure-feeds the cleaning liquid in the tank 11 to the nozzle 13 of the window washer device 10, the nozzle 3A of the inner mirror camera 100A and the nozzle 3B of the rearview camera 100B through the coupling hose 15. The cleaning liquid pressure-fed to the nozzle 13 is sent from the coupling hose 15 to the ejection port 14 of the nozzle 13 and is sprayed toward the rear window 200. The cleaning liquid pressure-fed to the nozzle 3A passes through the tube path 34A from the coupling hose 15, is sent to the cleaning liquid ejection port 31A, and is then sprayed toward the lens 101A of the inner mirror camera 100A. The cleaning liquid pressure-fed to the nozzle 3B passes through the tube path 34B from the coupling hose 15, is sent to the cleaning liquid ejection port 31B and is then sprayed toward the lens 101B of the rearview camera 100B.

Time T1 for which the rear window 200 is to be washed on the basis of one rear washer signal can be arbitrarily set. Also, the washing of the inner mirror camera 100A and the rearview camera 100B based on one rear washer signal is implemented in synchronization with a cleaning operation of cleaning the rear window 200. Therefore, the time for which the inner mirror camera 100A and the rearview camera 100B are to be washed becomes the same length as time T1 for which the rear window 200 is to be washed (or control may be performed so that the time is to be different from time T1).

The controller 4 having received the rear washer signal transmits a high-pressure air generation signal for operating the high-pressure air generation unit 2 toward the control unit 23 after predetermined time T2 has elapsed from completion of the cleaning of the rear window 200, based on time T1 for which the rear window 200 is washed. The control unit 23 operates the generation main body part 22 of the high-pressure air generation unit 2 to generate the high-pressure air, and delivers the generated high-pressure air toward the nozzle 3A of the inner mirror camera 100A and the nozzle 3B of the rearview camera 100B.

The high-pressure air delivered to the nozzle 3A passes through the coupling hose 29A and the tube path 35A from the ejection port 51A of the cylinder 50A, is sent to the high-pressure air ejection port 32A, and is then sprayed toward the lens 101A of the inner mirror camera 100A. The high-pressure air delivered to the nozzle 3B passes through the coupling hose 29B and the tube path 35B from the ejection port 51B of the cylinder 50B, is sent to the high-pressure air ejection port 32B and is then sprayed toward the lens 101B of the rearview camera 100B. The spraying of the high-pressure air is implemented with delay time T2 from completion of the cleaning of the rear window 200 by the cleaning liquid. Time T3 for which the cleaning is to be performed by the high-pressure air can be arbitrarily set.

Also, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, when the gear of the vehicle V is shifted to the reverse position, for example, a reverse signal is transmitted from the vehicle ECU 40 to the controller 4.

The controller 4 having received the reverse signal transmits a high-pressure air generation signal for operating the high-pressure air generation unit 2 toward the control unit 23, after predetermined time T4 has elapsed from the shift of the gear. The control unit 23 operates the generation main body part 22 of the high-pressure air generation unit 2 to generate a high-pressure air, and delivers the generated high-pressure air to the nozzle 3A of the inner mirror camera 100A and the nozzle 3B of the rearview camera 100B.

The high-pressure air delivered to the nozzle 3A and the nozzle 3B is sprayed from the high-pressure air ejection port 32A and the high-pressure air ejection port 32B toward the respective camera lenses, like the case where the rear washer button is pushed. Time T5 for which the cleaning is to be performed by the high-pressure air can be arbitrarily set. Like this, the spraying of the cleaning liquid may be sprayed toward the inner mirror camera 100A and the rearview camera 100B, depending on the change in shift position of the gear, without synchronizing with the spraying toward the rear window 200. In the meantime, when the gear is shifted to the reverse position, the controller 4 may spray the high-pressure air only from the nozzle 3B of the rearview camera 100B without spraying the high-pressure air from the nozzle 3A of the inner mirror camera 100A.

Also, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 15, for example, when it is recognized that the lens 101A of the inner mirror camera 100A or the lens 101B of the rearview camera 100B is smudged, a camera smudge signal is transmitted from the vehicle ECU 40 to the motor pump 12 of the window washer device 10 and the controller 4. Whether the lens is smudged is recognized on the basis of the image data captured by each camera, for example.

The motor pump 12 having received the camera smudge signal pressure-feeds the cleaning liquid in the tank 11 to the nozzle 3A of the inner mirror camera 100A and the nozzle 3B of the rearview camera 100B through the coupling hose 15. The pressure-fed cleaning liquid is sprayed from the cleaning liquid ejection port 31A of the nozzle 3A toward the lens 101A of the inner mirror camera 100A and from the cleaning liquid ejection port 31B of the nozzle 3B toward the lens 101B of the rearview camera 100B. In the meantime, when the camera smudge signal is transmitted, the cleaning of the rear window 200 is not implemented. In this case, for example, a flow path switching unit for switching a flow path of the cleaning liquid is provided on the way of the coupling hose 15, and when the camera smudge signal is transmitted, the flow path switching unit is controlled to enable the cleaning liquid to flow toward only the nozzles 3A, 3B, thereby cleaning only the lenses 101A, 101B of the cameras 100A, 100B. Time T6 for which the lenses 101A, 101B are to be cleaned on the basis of one camera smudge signal can be arbitrarily set.

The controller 4 having received the camera smudge signal transmit a high-pressure air generation signal for operating the high-pressure air generation unit 2 toward the control unit 23, after predetermined time T2 has elapsed from completion of the cleaning of the lenses 101A, 101B, based on time T6 for which the lenses 101A, 101B are cleaned. The operations to be performed thereafter are the same as the case where the rear washer button is pushed and the rear washer signal is received, and the high-pressure air is sprayed from the high-pressure air ejection port 32A and the high-pressure air ejection port 32B toward the lens 101A of the inner mirror camera 100A and the lens 101B of the rearview camera 100B. The spraying of the high-pressure air is implemented with delay time T2 from completion of the spraying of the lenses 101A. 101B by the spraying of the cleaning liquid.

Also, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 15, for example, a camera washing button (an actuation switch) for cleaning the vehicle-mounted camera may be provided in the vehicle interior, the vehicle ECU 40 may determine whether the camera washing button is pushed, and the spraying of the cleaning liquid toward the inner mirror camera 100A and the rearview camera 100B may be controlled. Specifically, when the camera washing button is pushed, a camera washing signal is transmitted from the vehicle ECU 40 to the motor pump 12 of the window washer device 10 and the controller 4. The operations of the motor pump 12 and the controller 4 having received the camera washing signal are the same as the operations of the motor pump 12 and the controller 4, which are performed when the lens of the camera is recognized as being smudged and the camera smudge signal is received.

In the meantime, in the respective operations, when cleaning the inner mirror camera 100A and the rearview camera 100B, the two-type cleaning by the spraying of the cleaning liquid and the spraying of the high-pressure air is performed for both the cameras. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the two-type cleaning by the spraying of the cleaning liquid and the spraying of the high-pressure air may be performed for the inner mirror camera 100A, and the cleaning only by the spraying of the high-pressure air may be performed for the rearview camera 100B, and vice versa.

Also, in the embodiment, the vehicular cleaner system 1 includes the high-pressure generation unit 2 configured to generate and deliver the high-pressure air, and the nozzle 3 configured to spray the high-pressure air toward the vehicle-mounted camera 100. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the vehicular cleaner system may include a blowing unit configured to deliver air without compressing the air, and a nozzle configured to deliver the air delivered from the blowing unit toward the vehicle-mounted camera.

The vehicular cleaner system 1 configured as described above has the actuation mode in which the cleaning liquid and the high-pressure air are to be sprayed toward the vehicle-mounted camera 100 and the actuation mode in which only the high-pressure air is to be sprayed toward the vehicle-mounted camera 100, and can switch the modes by the controller. Therefore, it is possible to effectively remove the foreign matters attached to the vehicle-mounted camera 100 with the simple configuration.

Also, the vehicular cleaner system 1 can switch the actuation mode in which the cleaning liquid and the high-pressure air are to be sprayed and the actuation mode in which only the high-pressure air is to be sprayed, depending on the type of the to-be-cleaned object. Therefore, it is possible to clean a variety of the to-be-cleaned objects by the appropriate method. In this case, for example, the cleaning liquid and the high-pressure air can be sprayed toward the inner mirror camera 100A, which is to be operated while at least the engine is on, and the high-pressure air can be sprayed toward the rearview camera 100B, which is to be operated when the gear is switched to the reverse position. Therefore, while securing the high cleaning ability for the inner mirror camera 100A that is to be frequently used, it is possible to suppress the consumption of the motor pump 12 and the cleaning liquid.

Also, for example, when cleaning the inner mirror camera 100A, the vehicular cleaner system 1 can control so that the spraying of the high-pressure air from the high-pressure air ejection port 32A can be initiated after the spraying of the cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid ejection port 31A of the nozzle 3A has been initiated. Therefore, it is possible to effectively remove the foreign matters attached to the inner mirror camera 100A with the simple configuration.

Also, the vehicular cleaner system 1 has the actuation mode in which the cleaning liquid is to be sprayed from both the cleaning liquid ejection port 31A of the nozzle 3A and the ejection port 14 of the nozzle 13 and the actuation mode in which the cleaning liquid is to be sprayed from only one of the cleaning liquid ejection port 31A and the ejection port 14, and can switch the modes by the controller. Therefore, the modes are switched depending on the situations, so that it is possible to suppress lowering in lifetime of the motor pump 12 and consumption of the cleaning liquid.

Also, for example, the vehicular cleaner system 1 may be provided with an actuation switch (camera washing button), which can be set by a driver, in the vehicle interior, and when the actuation switch is on, the vehicular cleaner system 1 can control so that the cleaning liquid is to be sprayed toward the vehicle-mounted camera 100. Therefore, it is possible to execute the spraying of the cleaning liquid and the high-pressure air toward the vehicle-mounted camera 100, depending on whether the driver turns on or off the actuation switch.

Also, for example, the spraying of the high-pressure air from the high-pressure air ejection port 32A is initiated after time T2 has elapsed from completion of the spraying of the cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid ejection port 31A of the nozzle 3A for the inner mirror camera 100A. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the cleaning liquid, which is to be sprayed from the cleaning liquid ejection port 31A, from being introduced to the high-pressure air ejection port 32A for the high-pressure air.

Also, the tank and the motor pump, which are used so as to spray the cleaning liquid toward the vehicle-mounted camera 100, are used as the tank 11 and the motor pump 12 of the window washer device 10 for spraying the cleaning liquid toward the window of the vehicle, too. Therefore, the cleaning liquid that is to be used for the window washer device 10 can be used as the cleaning liquid for cleaning the vehicle-mounted sensor 100 and the like, too, so that it is possible to remove the foreign matters with the convenience configuration.

Also, for example, the nozzle 3A mounted to the inner mirror camera 100A has the cleaning liquid ejection port 31A configured to spray the cleaning liquid and the high-pressure air ejection port 32A configured to spray the high-pressure air, which are independently provided. For this reason, the high-pressure air and the cleaning liquid are independently sprayed to the same to-be-cleaned object (the inner mirror camera 100A), so that it is possible to effectively remove the foreign matters attached to the to-be-cleaned object.

Also, the cleaning liquid ejection port 31A of the nozzle 3A is formed at the position more distant from the lens 101A than the high-pressure air ejection port 32A. For this reason, when cleaning the lens 101A by using the cleaning liquid and the high-pressure air, it is possible to prevent the cleaning liquid of the cleaning liquid ejection port 31A from being introduced upon the spraying of the high-pressure air from the high-pressure air ejection port 32A. Also, the ejection angle θ1 of the ejection path 38A in the cleaning liquid ejection port 31A is formed greater than the ejection angle θ2 of the ejection path 39A in the high-pressure air ejection port 32A. For this reason, it is possible to widen a spraying area of the cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid ejection port 31A arranged more distant from the lens 101A than the high-pressure air ejection port 32A.

Also, the cleaning liquid ejection port 31A and the high-pressure air ejection port 32A of the nozzle 3A are aligned in parallel on the upper surface of the inner mirror camera 100A, for example. For this reason, it is possible to downsize the nozzle 3A. Also, the high-pressure air ejection port 32A is arranged at the position facing the central part of the lens 101A on the upper surface of the inner mirror camera 100A. For this reason, the high-pressure air, which is more susceptible to surrounding environments (for example, weather conditions such as wind) than the cleaning liquid, can be appropriately sprayed toward the lens 101A. Also, the step 33 stepped in the upper and lower direction is formed between the cleaning liquid ejection port 31A and the high-pressure air ejection port 32A. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the cleaning liquid, which is to be sprayed from the cleaning liquid ejection port 31A, from being introduced into the high-pressure air ejection port 32A for the high-pressure air.

Also, the cleaning liquid ejection port 31A can be arranged so as to spray the cleaning liquid from a direction different from the spraying direction of the high-pressure air from the high-pressure air ejection port 32A. In this case, it is possible to prevent the spraying of the high-pressure air and the spraying of the cleaning liquid from interfering with each other. For example, the high-pressure air ejection port 32A may be arranged at a position at which the high-pressure air is to be sprayed toward the lens 101A from one direction in the upper and lower direction, and the cleaning liquid ejection port 31A may be arranged at a position at which the cleaning liquid is to be sprayed toward the lens 101A from one direction in the right and left direction. In this case, the high-pressure air, which is more susceptible to the exterior air environment than the cleaning liquid, can be appropriately sprayed toward the cleaning surface.

Also, the high-pressure air generation unit 2 for generating the high-pressure air is provided with the two pistons 60A, 60B configured to be movable by the movement mechanism 70 and the cylinders 50A, 50B corresponding to the respective pistons, for the single drive unit 80. For this reason, it is possible to effectively remove the foreign matters attached to the plurality of vehicle-mounted cameras 100 with the simple configuration.

Also, the movement mechanism 70 includes the single worm 71 configured to rotate by the single drive unit 80 and the two worm wheels 72A, 72B configured to rotate with being meshed with the worm 71. For this reason, it is possible to form the high-pressure air generation unit 2 having a plurality of cylinders with the simple configuration.

Also, the cylinder 50A and the cylinder 50B are arranged at symmetrical positions about the drive shaft 81 of the drive unit 80. For this reason, it is possible to thin the high-pressure air generation unit 2 and to cancel vibrations to be generated from the respective cylinders 50A, 50B upon the spraying of the high-pressure air. Also, since the drive unit 80 is interposed between the cylinder 50A and the cylinder 50B, it is possible to further miniaturize the high-pressure air generation unit 2. Also, since the ejection port 51A of the cylinder 50A is formed to face toward the opposite direction to the ejection port 51B of the cylinder, it is possible to further cancel the vibrations upon the spraying of the high-pressure air.

Also, the phase of the piston 60A of the cylinder 50A and the phase of the piston 60B of the cylinder 50B may be configured to be different from each other. In this case, it is possible to spray the high-pressure air toward the plurality of vehicle-mounted cameras 100 at different timings.

Also, the cylinders 50A, 50B and the housing 90 of the generation main body part 22 have engaging parts to be engaged with each other. For this reason, the cylinders 50A, 50B can be easily mounted to the housing 90 of the generation main body part 22.

Also, the license plate lamp 301, the vehicle-mounted camera 100 and the nozzle 3 are supported to the common mounting member 310. Also, the high-pressure air 2 and the door opener 400 are also supported to the mounting member 310. For this reason, it is possible to easily mount the license plate lamp unit, in which the corresponding components are modularized, to the outer panel 210 of the rear part of the vehicle, for example. Also, since the respective components are mounted to the common mounting member 310, it is possible to prevent positional displacement among the components.

Also, the camera lenses 101A and 101B are located below the lower end of the light emission unit 302 of the license plate lamp 301, and/or are located at the rear of the rear end of the light emission unit 302. In this way, it is possible to prevent the light from the license plate lamp from being incident on the camera lenses by adjusting the positions of the camera lenses 101A and 101B relative to the light emission unit 302 of the license plate lamp 301.

Modified Embodiments

In the below, a first modified embodiment of the generation main body part 22 of the high-pressure air generation unit 2 is described with reference to FIG. 16. In the meantime, since the parts denoted with the same reference numerals as the above embodiment have the same functions, the overlapping descriptions thereof are omitted.

In the generation main body part 22 (refer to FIG. 8) of the above embodiment, the drive unit 80 is interposed between the cylinder 50A and the cylinder 50B. In contrast, as shown in FIG. 16, in a generation main body part 22A of the first modified embodiment, the drive unit 80 is arranged in front of the cylinder 50A and the cylinder 50B. In the meantime, the configuration where the cylinder 50A and the cylinder 50B are arranged at the bilaterally symmetrical positions about the drive shaft 81 of the drive unit 80 is the same as the generation main body part 22.

According to the above configuration, since the cylinder 50A and the cylinder 50B are arranged at the symmetrical positions, it is possible to cancel the vibrations that are to be generated upon the operations of the cylinders.

In the below, a second modified embodiment of the generation main body part 22 of the high-pressure air generation unit 2 is described with reference to FIGS. 17A and 17B. In the meantime, the overlapping descriptions of the parts denoted with the same reference numerals as the above embodiment are omitted, like the first modified embodiment.

In the generation main body part 22 (refer to FIG. 8) of the above embodiment, the movement mechanism 70 includes the single worm 71 and the two worm wheels 72A, 72B. In contrast, in a generation main body part 22B of the second modified embodiment, a movement mechanism 70 a includes the single worm 71 and a single worm wheel 72. The worm wheel 72 is configured by a driven gear 73 and pinions 74A, 74B aligned in parallel and protruding toward one side (for example, the upper side shown in FIG. 17B) of the driven gear 73. Gear teeth 75 a, 75 b of the pinions 74A, 74B are configured to mesh with the rack teeth 63A, 63B of the racks 62A, 62B. In the meantime, the two pinions 74A, 74B may be arranged to protrude laterally (for example, both sides in the upper and lower direction, in FIG. 17B) from a central part of the driven gear 73 with the driven gear 73 being interposed therebetween.

As shown in FIG. 17A, the two cylinders 50A, 50B are aligned in parallel with being adjacent to each other in the upper and lower direction, and the ejection ports 51A, 51B of the respective cylinders are provided to face toward the same direction (in this example, rightward). The single drive unit 80 is arranged at the left of the cylinders 50A, 50B.

According to the above configuration, since it is possible to reduce a width of the generation main body part 22B in the right and left direction, it is possible to miniaturize the high-pressure air generation unit 2.

In the below, a modified embodiment of the nozzle 3A, 3B that are to be mounted to the vehicle-mounted camera 100 is described with reference to FIG. 18. In the meantime, since the parts denoted with the same reference numerals as the above embodiment have the same functions, the overlapping descriptions thereof are omitted.

The nozzle 3A (refer to FIGS. 10 to 12) of the above embodiment is formed with the cleaning liquid ejection port 31A configured to spray the cleaning liquid and the high-pressure air ejection port 32A configured to spray the high-pressure air, as independent separate ejection ports. In contrast, as shown in FIG. 18, a nozzle 130 of the modified embodiment is formed with one common ejection port 131, as the ejection port configured to spray the cleaning liquid and the ejection port configured to spray the high-pressure air. In the nozzle 130, a passage 132A of the cleaning liquid and a passage 132B of the high-pressure air are separately formed in parallel, and the ejection port 131 is formed at a center of end portions of both the passages.

According to the above configuration, the ejection port of the nozzle is configured by one ejection port, so that it is possible to miniaturize the nozzle 130. Also, since it is possible to simplify the structure of the nozzle 130, it is possible to easily manufacture the same.

In the meantime, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and can be appropriately modified and improved. In addition, the materials, shapes, sizes, numerical values, forms, numbers, arrangement places and the like of the constitutional elements of the above embodiments are arbitrary and are not particularly limited inasmuch as the present invention can be implemented.

The subject application is based on Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2017-165452 filed on Aug. 30, 2017 and 2017-185038 filed on Sep. 26, 2017, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 

1. A license plate lamp unit comprising: a license plate lamp configured to irradiate light to a license plate; a camera unit having a camera lens; a nozzle configured to discharge a cleaning medium toward the camera lens; and a base component configured to support the license plate lamp, the camera unit and the nozzle.
 2. The license plate lamp unit according to claim 1, further comprising: a delivery unit configured to deliver air, as the cleaning medium, toward the nozzle, wherein the delivery unit is supported to the base component.
 3. The license plate lamp unit according to claim 1, further comprising: a door opening/closing part for opening and closing a rear door of a vehicle, wherein the door opening/closing part is supported to the base component.
 4. A license plate lamp unit comprising: a license plate lamp having a light emission unit configured to irradiate light to a license plate; and a camera unit having a camera lens, wherein in a state in which the license plate lamp unit is mounted to a vehicle, the camera lens satisfies at least one of (a) a condition that the camera lens is located below a lower end of the light emission unit, and (b) a condition that the camera lens is located at the rear of a rear end of the light emission unit.
 5. The license plate lamp unit according to claim 4, further comprising: a delivery unit configured to deliver a cleaning medium; a nozzle configured to discharge the cleaning medium toward the camera lens; and a pipe path configured to interconnect the delivery unit and the nozzle.
 6. A vehicle comprising the license plate lamp unit according to claim
 1. 7. A vehicle comprising the license plate lamp unit according to claim
 4. 